Combined closet and table



Oct. 18, 1932. E. s. BOLLES 1,833,504

COMBIRED CLOSET AND TABLE Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 18,,1932.

COMBINED CLOSET AND TABLE Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E s.BOLLES 1,883,504

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 EDGAR s. BQLLES, or MONUMENT BEACH,MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNon' 'ro nonocrrr r J.- IBOLLES'AND'EDGAR s. mins,JB., BOTH OFYMONUMENT BEAc iMAssAoH sETTs comiainnn crosiir Ann TABLEApplication filed May 29,

This invention relates to cabinets for the dining room or kitchemof thatgeneral type in which the front of the cabinet may be lowered to providea table.

5 7 An object of the mventionis to provide a f position while the doorframe with the doors 2 is being lowered to the horizontal andwill belocked against collapse when in use to provide a table.

A further object is toprovide a cabinet of the type described in whichthe transverse frame by means of a pin carried within an lncllned slotin opposite angle irons carried by the door frame near the top, the legsbeing caused to move longitudinally'of the slotted angle irons by meansof a novel hingedprop of substantially U-shape,which draws the legs fromunderneath the molding of the cabinet to permit the door frame, with thedoors attached thereto, being lowered to the horizontal to form thetable.

A still further object of the inventi-on'is'to provide thedoor framewith legs which close flat against the front face of the door frame whenthe door frame is raised to form a closure for the front of the cabinetand underlie the molding or ledge atthe top of the cabinet so that thetable may :serve as an attractive and artistic door for. the cabinetwithout disclosingits character of a'table.

With'the above and other objects in view the invention consistsincertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the zontal to provide a table,

ig. .12 is a frontlele'vation top member of the legs is pivoted to thedoor In the accompanying drawings forming of the cabinet 17931;SerialNo. 541,068i

with the doors in vertical position to conceal the shelves, i

a Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cabinet, with the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 2,

showing the doors and legs positioned against the front of the cabinetand underlyingthe top melding of the cabinet,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4,showing the rear faces i of the legs together with their connectingtransverse top member, and showing the U- shaped prop carried by thelegs and cross member, v g

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing a device forlocking the legs to the door frame in released position,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts in elevatioinshowingthe legs and transverse cross memberthereof underlying the door frameand the ends of the doors to positively prevent opening of the doorswhen the device is in use as a table, and

i Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the parts of the table shownin Fig; 4 but in poistion to form the'table. a Referring now to thedrawings in which like characters of reference designate similar partsin the various views, a cabinet 10 is Y shownhaving shelves 11 in theupper portion 30 thereof and drawers 12 in the lower portion thereof.The cabinet is closed at the top by the usual head 13 which projects atthe front outwardly beyond the front of the cabinet and is equipped withthe usual molding 14. 8,5

The cabinet is provided witha ledge 15 above the drawers, which isdisposed at such a height as tooccupy a position corresponding with thetable. r

1 door frame is fitted to the front of thelclo'set and comprises sidemembers 16 and across member 17 at the top. As best shown in Fig. 2,thedoor frame is hinged at the bottom to swing outwardly and downwardlyby means of hinges 18secured to the ledge 15 andto the front faces ofthe side members 16 Doors 19 are hinged to the side members 16 of thedoor frame and when closed lie within theplane of the frame with'theirinner faces Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view 55 in Fig. 8,the

flush with the inner side of the door frame to form a table with a levelsurface, as Wlll hereinafter appear. Suitable handle knobs I providemeans for opening and closing the doors.

Legs 23 connected at the top by a cross member 24 are provided tosupport the outer end of the table formed by rocking the door frame withthe attached doors downwardly to the horizontal. A substantiallyU-shaped prop 25 is confined by metal straps 26 Within a U-shaped groove27 formed in the cross member 2 1 and legs 23. The prop is thus hingedlysecured to the legs at the bight or cross member of the prop. Theterminals of the prop are pivotally connected to hinge ears 28 carriedby the side members 16 of the door frame, pivot pins 29 being passedthrough the ends of the prop and through the hinge ears to effectthispivotal connection of the prop with the door frame.

To slidably and pivotally mount the legs on the door frame, a pairofangle irons 30 are secured to the side members 16 of the door frame,as best shown in Fig. 1, by means of screws or other connectors, and theflanges of the angle irons are provided with longitudinal slots 31 whichextend obliquely with respect to the major axes of the flanges, as bestshown in Fig. 8. Pins 32, as best shown in Figs. 2, i, 5 and 8, aremounted in the outer edges of the legs 23 and are slidably engaged inthe slots 31 in the flanges of the angle irons. It will be observed thatthe ends of the slots 31 are ofl'set inwardly from the slots toward thedoor frame, as shown at 33 in Figs. 4 and 8.

By now referring to Figs. 4: and 8, it will be seen that when the legsare rocked to upright position against the front of the door frame, thepins 32 are disposed at the upper ends of the slots 31. WVhen the doorframe with the attached doors is being rocked downward to the horizontalto the position shown pins 32 ride longitudinally of the slots 31, and,as the legs arrive in vertical position, the prop 25 forces the pins 32into the offset ends of the slots 31 so that the legs are locked againstcollapse.

As best shown in Fig. 7, when the legs are positioned to support thedoor frame and doors to form a table, the transverse member 24 whichconnects the legs extends transversely across both therdoors 19 so thatthe doors are positively held against opening downwardly. It will befurther observed, by referring to Fig. 7, that the doors and door rameare so supported in horizontal position when forming a table by theledge 15 of the cabinet'that a strong, rigid table is produced towithstand severe conditions of service.

The slots 31 in the angle irons permit the legs and cross member 24thereof sliding upwardly underneath the molding 14, about one-half inch,as best shown in Fig. 4, when the table is moved tothe vertical so thatthe doors and frame are held by the molding to form a closure for thefront of the cabinet without the use of other securing devices.

' To convert the cabinet to provide a table, the legs 23 are grasped andpulled outwardly. When the legs 23 are drawn outwardly, the cross memberand legs move downwardly in the slots of the angle irons and disengagefrom in rear of the molding let to release the door frame from the frontof the cabinet. The door frame 16 may then be rocked downwardly on thehinges 18 to the horizontal, the legs meanwhile sliding longitudinallyofthe angle irons 30 until, at their limit of movement, the pins 32lodge in the offset ends 33 of the slots, in which position of the partsthe prop 25 operates to hold the legs upright. During such movement ofthe parts, the angular inclination of the slots facilitates the pins 32riding freely along the slots while being moved by the hinged prop 25 sothat it will require but slight muscular effort to convert the cabinetinto a table. A reverse movement of the parts will restore the table toprovide a closure for the shelves, as will be understood.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A cabinet having a front hinged at the bottom to open to a horizontalposition for use as a table, a stop on the top of the cabinet legs forsupporting the front in horizontal position, means pivotally andslidably attaching said legs to the upper end of the front and adaptedto dispose said legs in rear of said stop to hold the front upright toform a closure for the cabinet, and props hinged to the front and to thelegs for preventing collapse of the legs.

2. A cabinet provided with a front hinged at the bottom to open tohorizontal position for use as a table, laterally opening doors hingedto the front, legs connected by a cross piece at the top, connectionsbetween the front and the cross piece permitting of combined sliding andpivotal movement of the legs to position the cross piece underneath thedoors to hold the doors closed when lowered to the horizontal, and propshinged to the front and to one of the legs for preventing collapse ofthe legs.

3. A cabinet having a front hinged to open to a horizontal position foruse as a table, a molding on the top of the cabinet, legs connected by across piece at the top, a U-shaped prop having the bight hinged to saidcross piece and extending therealong and having the terminals hinged tosaid front, said prop being adapted to beconfined between the legs andthe front when the front is rocked upwardly to close the cabinet, andcombined pivotal and sliding connections between said legs and saidfront permitting of the legs being moved by the prop to upright positionunderneath the molding to hold the front in upright position. I a

4. A cabinet having a door frame hinged at the bottom to open to ahorizontal position,

a molding carried by the cabinet, laterally opening doors carried by theframe, angle irons carried by the frame and having slotted flanges, legshaving pins engaging in said slotted flanges and slidably and pivotallymounting the legs upon thedoor frame, and a ,prop hinged to the doorframe and to the legs to slide the legs up in back of the molding to 7hold the door frame upright.

5. A cabinet having shelves in'the upper portion thereof and drawersin'the lower portion thereof, there being a ledge projecting forwardlyfrom the cabinet between the shelves and drawers, there being acmoldingprojecting forwardly from the top of the cabinet, a door frame hinged atthe bottom to said ledge to open to a horizontal position,

laterally opening doors carried by the frame,

legs hingedly and slidably connected to'the door frame and adapted tofold against the molding strip carried by the cabinet, angle a ironscarried by the front having flanges provided with slots disposed atanrangle to the longitudinal axes of the flanges, legs having pivot pinspivotally andv slidably engaging in said slots, the slots being offsetat the ends to receive said pivot pins, and props hinged to the frontand to the legs for pivotally and slidably moving said pins in saidslots to dispose the legs in rear of the molding to hold the frontclosed against the cabinet and lodging the pins in said offset portionsof the slots" to lock the legs to support the table horizontally.

In testimony whereof I azffix my signature.

EDGAR S. BOLLES. [11.8.] c

